We are a group of concerned citizens and animal lovers who came together to help the animals in need from our community. Our mission is to provide assistance to animals in distress and to support disabled or elder low income families with pet food contributions. Due to urban sprawl and to the actual economic crisis animal tragedies are dramatically increasing in our area. We see cats abandoned and multiplying at an alarming rate in our rural lands and we are afraid that dogs will become the next victims.

Therefore, because the welfare of the animals in our backyards, bushes and populated or unpopulated areas relies exclusively on us our group decided to start a prevention program to help pet owners, a pet food bank. Abandoned, injured and/or hungry animals need all of us to interviene and help. Please, residents of Greater Victoria, join forces with us to assist the poor defenceless animals and the low income pet owners who love them! Donate to our cause or volunteer with us. The animals need you!

With your help we will be able to put in place five different programs:
• Our "Boneless Project" is a pet food bank for individulas who are homeless, disabled or elder and for abandoned cats and dogs
• Our S.O.S program looks after the needs of chained dogs
• Our "Feral Cat Rescue & Rehabilitation Project" has prevented the birth and suffering of more than eight hundreds cats in the last thirteen years.
• We spay and neuter, vaccinate and microchip all our rescue animals
• We are animal rights activists. We use our voice to expose corruption and to raise awareness about animal abuse and neglect
• We including children and youth in our awareness, compassion, rescue, and adoption programs.

WHY IS A PET FOOD BANK URGENTLY NEEDED IN OUR REGION?

Abandoned animal are already a sad part of our daily reality.

We see animal tragedies from Victoria to Port Renfrew and by donating food and some medical care we can prevent them.  

In the last years many among us have noticed how the economic global crisis is forcing families to abandon their beloved pets.
Tamed and inexperienced pets who used to sleep comfortably on the living-room's couch or on the children's bed are presently
living outdoors hungry and cold with no food or shelter to protect themselves from our damp climate.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE GOING TO START SEEING SUFFERING DOGS ROAMING ON THE STREETS?

The pictures below are perfect examples of this new and sad reality for family pets. The difference with cats & dogs is that cats hide, but dogs will not. Do you know that all MLAS and SOOKE COUNCIL have preferred to ignore the problem when we addressed it to them?

Photo No. 1 - A beautiful white and grey adult cat, Christmas, was dumped in the middle of winter at one of our
feeding stations.
Photo No. 2 - This kitten, Dynamite, was found paralyzed after an animal had attacked him and saved by gentle souls.

 

A solution needs to be found in our area to prevent our towns from becoming like other Canadian cities and municipalities
such as: Coquitlam, Delta, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver City, and Surrey where the stray and feral cat overpopulation
has already become extreme and all cats end in the pound. We need to prevent this before authorities decide to example from
the mainland, or to start shooting cats, as it has happened in the past with the rabbits. Oak Bay has already envisioned doing
it with local deer. We all need to combine our efforts and work. The CRD is already using the same law to cats than to wildlife,
officers are telling people to let the cats die from starvation "do not feed them", they say.
Population growth and urban spraw means an increase in abandoned animals who will be scrounging for food and shelter
under buildings, parking lots and parks.


What is a feral cat?

A feral cat is one that you find living an outside life whether it be in a barn, in the forest, or in an alley. There are two
common ways that a cat has turned to living in a wild environment. Some feral cats were born outside and have never
lived within a home and others are cats that have had a family and have; unfortunately, strayed away or been left behind.
These cats form what we call “colonies” and make a home-base wherever they can find food and mates. Whether the cat
was previously a house cat or has been feral since birth, these animals avoid human contact at all costs. They repopulate,
and thus, the sad cycle of reproduction proceeds and colonies increase tremendously. Capture, Neuter/Spay and Return
is one of our programs in which feral or stray cats living outdoors are humanely trapped, taken to the veterinarian for evaluation/vaccinations/sterilization.
The feral kittens and the tamer stray cats are fostered by some of our members until a loving home is found. The healthy
adult feral cats which are too wild to be placed in a home are returned to their outdoor home-base and cared for by
volunteers for as long as resources allow.
Our program gives a chance for a healthier life for the cats and it provides an ethical way to reduce the cat colonies in our community. No more kittens are born and the vicious cycle of reproduction is stopped.
Having a Capture, Neuter/Spay and Return program will be one of our biggest missions, but we cannot put this into
action without the help of donations, foster homes, and volunteers.
Every time we spay and neuter an animal, in this case cats, we are preventing hundreds of others from being born and
preventing animals from dying or living in deplorable condidtions.

GESTATION PERIOD AND LITTERS

• The average female cat reaches puberty at 4-12 months and can have up to 3 litters per year.
• In her first litter, she will have between 4 and 6 kittens; therefore, let us say 5.
• In 6 months, the 5 kittens will have another 25 kittens.
• In year No.1, the 25 kittens will have 125 other kittens.
• In year No. 2, the 125 kittens will have 5 newborn cats each 3 times at year totalling 1875 kittens .

 

LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE.

Our site will be updated regularly, this is just the beginning of our campaign to promote and portray
Sooke as an animal friendly town.

THE BASIC ITEMS NEEDED are found in our

Because we are just starting our foundation any contribution, big or small, will help our mission and will be really appreciated by abandoned animals and by low income families.

Help with spaying and neuter is urgent! We have several cat colonies to trap, spay-neuter, shelter, and keep feeding
for year to come.

Help with the spay and neuter of dogs. In the last six months we have become aware of the lack of spay/neuter support for the dogs of individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.

Pet food, many low-income families cannot feed their pets and with your/our help we will prevent animals to be
abandoned. Any little help will be well received and distributed.

Please, do not throw your pop and beer cans away! Any Bottle Depot accept donations in our behalf, or in Sooke they can be left in our bins at 2075 Otter Point Rd.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated",
preciously described Mahatma Ghandi.

We can become a MODEL OF COMPASSION & RESPECT TOWARDS ANIMALS.

Telephone: 778-352-2999

E-mail in relation to adopting one of our rescue kitties: FERAL CAT REHABILITATION CENTER

Follow @feralcatshelter

 

© 2012 SAFARS